Alexia Thainara needs to spoil the English celebration Saturday night time and debut with the suitable foot within the octagon by beating Molly McCann at UFC London.
“Burguesinha” completed a coaching session final Friday in Varginha, Brazil, when the telephone rang. Her supervisor known as group chief Marcelo Ribas to verify if the Contender Collection veteran was able to take a battle on brief discover.
“In fact,” Ribas responded immediately. “She’s prepared.”
A couple of minutes later, her supervisor known as again to tell her the battle was on. Thainara had two days to depart Varginha for Sao Paulo after which embark on a protracted flight to London, all that with seven kilos to chop in only a week.
“We have been anticipating a high-profile battle already as a result of there have been seven months for the reason that Contender,” Thainara informed MMA Combating. “It’s a great battle, a tricky battle, and that’s as a result of they noticed I used to be a tricky fighter. I’m a well-rounded athlete they usually clearly wouldn’t give me a half-ass battle. It’s a battle for us to placed on a present.”
Thainara beat former teammate Rose Conceicao on The Contender Collection to go 11-1 as knowledgeable and earn a contract with the UFC.
In the meantime, the battle at UFC London is McCann’s 14th octagon look, having gained seven of these. “Meatball” has the sting when it comes to expertise, however Thainara sees herself a step forward in different areas of the sport.
“[I beat her] with my greatest, my coronary heart, by going ahead and being aggressive and versatile,” Thainara stated. “Don’t let her use her boxing, which is her greatest. That’s all she reveals in her fights, actually.”
“And we’ve got the [jiu-jitsu] background, proper? 5 submissions in a row. Faucet or sleep.”
Thainara had a great run on the Brazilian circuit earlier than incomes her UFC contract. The truth is, the 5 straight submissions occurred between 2021 and 2023, a run that included a pair of eight-second finishes. She wasn’t competing in opposition to the elite of the game at that stage — each opponents have been 0-1 as professionals —, however “Burguesinha” sees UFC London as her popping out celebration.
“I’m nonetheless unknown within the UFC,” Thainara stated. “However I’m positive this chance will make me recognized by all the world as a result of not each particular person takes a battle on seven days’ discover. That solely reveals that our group is prepared.”
